Azraq wetlands have been heavily over-exploited as a result of escalating water needs for agriculture, industrial development, tourism, and urban growth. Ever-increasing demands for water, particularly in the rapidly growing city of Amman, have precipitated large-scale pumping from the Azraq Basin. In fact, pumping for urban needs increased from about two million cubic meters (m3) in 1979 to about 25 million m3 in 1993. Furthermore, a huge expansion in agriculture in the region has drained an additional 25 million m3 per year from the basin.

The primary object of the project is to halt further degradation of the aquatic ecosystems in the oasis and to restore as much of the wetlands as possible to a natural or near-natural condition with a view to maintaining the biological diversity of this unique wetland ecosystem. Another important aim of the project is to establish a sustainable basis for the utilization of the water resources of the Azraq Basin.